Senate President Don Perata told the Associated Press last week that his drive to recall Senator Jeff Denham is really part of his plan to build a Democratic majority strong enough to raise taxes in future budget cycles. Really, he promises, it’s not just a petty vindictive stab at revenge or an excuse to make work for Sandi Polka! Replacing Denham with a Democrat would bring the party to within one vote of a two-thirds majority in the Senate, and the law requires two-thirds of the legislature sign off on every budget. Historically, this requirement has created logjams every summer, as legislators bicker over taxes and spending, delaying the budget for agonizing weeks. After Perata’s announcement, the California Republican Party denounced the recall anew: “As Californians continue suffering under high gas prices, food prices, and taxes that are among the highest in the nation, the Democrats campaigning against Senator Denham have one goal in mind: passing a budget that raises taxes on Californians even higher.” Considering that Republican legislators have been fanatically opposed to raising any taxes, and triggered the infuriating 2003 recall of Gray Davis over the vehicle licensing fee, we remain unimpressed by their latest attempt at indignation.
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